The old man did not lose his ability to move simply because he had been hacked into pieces. Instead, he shattered into a swarm of even more insects, scattering in all directions before reconvening at a distance further away from Saber and Ludwig.
"Terrifying, truly terrifying. Is this the power of the strongest Servant class?" Zouken continued to cackle.
However, he showed no intention of fleeing or retreating, which took Ludwig by surprise.
This was Zouken Matou's own home. For a magus, a home was a territory—a Workshop. Centuries of residence had cultivated this Bounded Field until it responded to his will as naturally as his own limbs.
In the darkness, countless insects began to beat their wings, surrounding Ludwig and Saber from every direction.
"I hadn't planned on this, but since you've delivered yourselves to my doorstep, I might as well kill you both here. As payment for destroying my vessel, I shall use you as a replacement. You are so young; eating you should grant me a few more months of life."
Zouken spoke of his schemes without reservation, already viewing Ludwig as a meal on a plate.
"Eating..."
Ludwig whispered the word the old man had used. A body composed of insects was not something that could be maintained without a cost. It seemed he needed to consume something to keep going. Even if he didn't eat Ludwig, he would hunt innocent humans outside, treating ordinary people like livestock to maintain his current form.
"Master, what are your orders?" Saber assessed the situation.
If she were to unleash her Noble Phantasm here, she could level the entire estate, but the blast would also catch the surrounding residential area. Ludwig likely hadn't yet grasped the essence of a Noble Phantasm, nor how to release the True Name of his trophy, Durandal, to manifest its wide-range destructive power.
For them to escape alone would be child's play, but having to protect others made them feel constrained.
"Since you want to eat, then let's give you a taste of something fresh."
Ludwig gripped Durandal, sliced open his own palm, and violently flung the blood toward where Zouken stood.
A large spray of blood splattered across Zouken's body and the surrounding grass. The insects lurking nearby immediately swarmed toward the crimson fluid.
"Heh heh heh... Have you given up in despair? It would be quite simple for you to run; I don't truly believe I could keep you here," Zouken laughed lowly, licking the blood that had trickled down to his lips. "Just leave Kariya behind and retreat. The affairs of the Matou family are none of the business of those seeking the Grail."
Ludwig thrust his sword into the ground and cradled his sliced hand. The Angel heritage he inherited possessed incredibly powerful regenerative capabilities. Even if his limbs were severed or his internal organs crushed, he could recover within a few breaths. The cut on his palm had already knit itself back together as soon as he had flung the blood; his hand was now as pristine as if it had never been injured.
"...Three... two..." He began counting down from ten in his head. When he reached three, he finally spoke aloud.
"What?" Zouken knitted his hairless brow, utterly perplexed.
"...One. It should be taking effect now." Ludwig lifted his sword.
At that moment, Zouken noticed that the insects that had swarmed the blood had all died instantly, falling motionless. The old man himself realized that the flow of prana within him had become abnormal. A sensation akin to a lethal toxin flowing through his veins accompanied the prana as it circulated through his Magic Circuits, causing his body to spiral out of control.
The toxicity was something even his Magic Circuits could not withstand, and it began to erode Zouken's very psyche. He dropped his cane, clutching his throat and chest with both hands. Insects burst through his skin, but those that fell out were already dead.
Slash—
Zouken's legs were severed. He pitched forward, falling into the same pathetic posture as Kariya. This time, his previous composure was nowhere to be found.
Ludwig stood over the old man with his sword raised, thrusting Durandal down once more to pierce the man's shoulder.
"Just as I thought. The blood of a being like me is nothing short of a lethal poison, even to a magus of the old era," he remarked with a localized sense of detachment. "How long can you hold out, having no adaptability at all?"
"...You... did it... on purpose..." Zouken's voice became labored.
The old man finally realized the problem. He had assumed the boy had spilled his blood as a medium for some ritual, yet he saw no traces of a formal craft. Confident in his own magical territory, he had allowed his insects to touch the blood. Zouken had even proactively consumed a bit himself.
He had assumed the boy was from some ancient magus lineage with Phantasmal blood, or perhaps a high-ranking Dead Apostle who feared no sunlight. Every one of those judgments had been wrong from the start. The old man's contempt for the youth had turned into a monumental joke.
Ludwig did not answer Zouken's question. Instead, he used the holy sword Durandal to pierce the old man's newly reconstructed skull.
Still no blood, and no further shattering.
This time, it seemed he was truly dead. What a boring end, Kariya thought, silently mocking Zouken in his heart.
"Is it... over?" Artoria asked hesitantly, watching the remaining insects vanish into the shadows and crevices.
Ludwig crouched before Kariya. "I can't say for sure. Kariya Matou, what do you think?"
"I don't know... the Crest Worms have gone quiet again." Kariya remained sprawled on the ground, temporarily unable to move. He lacked the energy to even wonder why the boy's blood could kill Zouken. "But it will take some time before I can move again."
"Master, this girl has also fainted," Artoria said, picking up the unconscious Sakura from the ground and looking at Ludwig.
Kariya struggled to turn his head to look at Sakura. "It must be... because Zouken is gone..."
"I see." Ludwig hoisted Kariya onto his shoulder. "So, you wanted me to help you get this girl out. We've done that. What's next?"
"I..."
Kariya wanted to say he would take Sakura to find Aoi and Rin, and lead the three of them away. But his own lifespan was nearly at its end, and it was impossible for him to win the Grail to save either himself or Sakura.
"I don't know..." Kariya's head slumped in defeat.
When the task he had thought impossible was suddenly accomplished, he found himself at a loss for what to do next.
Ludwig figured Kariya was simply too exhausted to think and planned to bring him back to the base to recuperate. Once the man had recovered, he could decide on a plan. After all, Ludwig wasn't a babysitter; he had no talent for caretaking and possessed no skills other than fighting.
"Regarding what should be done with this poor girl, I actually have a few ideas. Want to hear them? You do, don't you? Since Lutz feels he can't handle this sort of problem himself."
As always, appearing as naturally as a falling petal, Merlin suddenly stepped out from a blind spot in everyone's vision.
"Merlin... do you intend to help?" Ludwig asked suspiciously.
Merlin closed one eye slyly, casting a seductive look at the boy.
"Well, that depends on whether you're willing to ask me nicely."
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Type-Moon: The A-Ray Knight's Holy Grail Journey
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